Bilge water eductor



Dec. 10, 1935. c. HARROD 6:-

BILGE WATER EDUCTOR Filed Feb. 9, 1.953

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 1" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to bilge water eductors, and has for an object to provide improved means for educting water from the bilge of a ship, the while floating oil will be retained.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for educting the bilge water from a ship, with improved means for changing the type of eduction installation to vary the eduction from the underlying water to the entire liquid bilge content.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with a bilge pump suction pipe a bafiie at the lower end of said pipe so arranged as to take in liquids only at the bottom of said bafile, with means for breaking the rarification within the pipe and bafile when the level of the liquid has reached a predetermined height.

The invention therefore comprises an addition to a bilge water pump suction pipe of a bafile preferably though not necessarily circular in form having at the bottom, inlets, which said bottom is in contact with the bottom of the bilge, with a pipe extension from said suction pipe extending downwardly within the bafile but stopping short of the bottom, and an air vent under manual control communicating with said baflle at a predetermined height.

The drawing is a conventional showing of the parts of a vessel with the invention applied thereto, the invention being shown in elevation with a part broken out.

The invention is adapted to be associated with vessels of various types and the showing of the hull Ill, engine room floor plates H and tank l2 are only illustrative.

A vessel is ordinarily provided with a suction pipe M from the bilge water pump, which pipe ordinarily extends to a position adjacent to the bottom of the bilge. With a vessel so equipped, the lower end of the suction pipe l3 will be cut off and threaded as at M and a flange l5 applied thereto.

To this flange l5, the bafile will be applied. The bafile comprises a body or housing l6, preferably though not necessarily, circular in cross section, and with a pipe section I'I extending downwardly into this bafile a predetermined distance. This pipe section ll may be cast integral with the housing I6, or may be applied thereto in any approved manner so that the joints are water-tight. The housing I6 is provided with a flange it which co-acts with the flange H to rigidly attach the housing IE to the pipe l3.

About its lower edge, which is normally open,

a plurality of recesses l9 are formed which permit ingress of fluid underneath the housing [6.

At one side of the housing and spaced at a distance above the bottom substantially equal to the pipe section ii, a vent pipe 20 is connected. 5

This pipe 20 is extended to some position for easy access for manual control, as for instance, extending into the engine room and there provided with a manual cock 2|.

In operation, the device being installed as 10 shown, the water may be pumped from the underlying oil volume by maintaining the valve 2| in an open condition. The exhaust in the pipe l3 will therefore draw water through the openings or recesses l9 and through the pipe 13 so long 15 as the level of the combined water and oil remains above the inlet of the vent pipe 20.

When, however, the level has been reduced to reach this vent pipe 2!), air will be admitted to the housing 1 6 and will break the vacuum so that no further water will be lifted through the pipe [3.

This arrangement is for the purpose of pumping out the bilge water without pumping out the oil which accumulates upon the top of the water and which it is illegal to discharge into port waters.

When, however, it is desired to pump out all of the accumulation, including the oil, the valve 21 is closed, whereupon, the housing It becomes an extension of the pipe l3 and continues to deliver liquid to the pipe until the level of the liquid has fallen to the top of the recesses l9, which is practically the entire quantity of liquid.

This type of pumping may occur while the Vessel is at sea, and therefore at liberty to discharge oil, or when in port the educted liquid may be directed into a settling tank and the water later pumped from under the oil and the oil retained for use.

Of course, the invention herein illustrated may be modified in various ways Without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A bilge water eductor comprising a suction pipe extended downwardly toward the bottom of the bilge of a ship, a larger pipe section with an open bottom enclosing and extending beyond the lower end of said first pipe entirely to the bilge limits and forming with said suction pipe an annular chamber, said open bottom having an edge formed with a plurality of openings therein, and.

a tube provided with a manual valve adapted to selectively admit air to the annular chamber whereby eduction is discontinued when the liquid level drops below the end of'the first pipe and continues to the open end of the enlarged pipe section when air is excluded. 4

2. A bilge water eductor comprising an open bottom housing adapted to stand upon the bottom of the bilge of a ship and having an inlet opening on the bottom edge of the housing, a suction pipe extending downwardly into but stopping short of the bottom of the housing, and a manually interrupted conduit adapted to admit air to the housing to break'the eduction when the liquid level has uncovered the inserted end of th suction pipe.

3. A bilge water eductor comprising an eduction duct, a housing having an open bottom with ingress openings about the loweredge andvwholly chamber, said housing being connected to the' eduction duct at a point removed from its lower end with the housing spaced from and enclosing the lower end of the eduction duct thereby providing an air locked interior space modifying the action within the chamber by tending to reduce the gurgitations or pulsations of the pumped liquid.

4. In a bilge pumping mechanism, the combination with a housing forming an open bottom chamber-having openings about the lower edge for admitting fluid to the interior of the pump, a liquid eduction duct extending and opening into said chamber, the said housing being spaced from the eduction duct and having a closed end connected to the duct at a point removed from the extremity thereof; an air inlet duct opening into said chamber, said chamber forming an air cushion-tor reducing the gurgitations or pulsations of the pumped liquids.

LEWIS C. HARROD. 

